Cabinet Secretary for Public Service, Human Capital Development, and Performance Management, Geoffrey Ruku, has announced plans to transition civil servants from permanent and pensionable employment terms.
Speaking during the official launch of the PSC Strategic Plan 2025-2029 on February 26, Ruku said the move would explore contractual employment for public servants as part of a broader public service transformation policy.
“It’s public service transformation policy, which I will be doing a presentation to the cabinet committee next week, and later I will do a presentation to the full cabinet within the month of March. I think it’s high time as a ministry, as a government, we see whether we can have employees or public servants on contractual basis,” Ruku said.
The proposal, expected to be presented to the Cabinet Committee next week and later to the full Cabinet in March, would see employees engaged on fixed-term contracts of three to five years, renewable based on performance.
Ruku warned that those failing to meet contractual obligations would be required to seek employment elsewhere.
CS Ruku said that public servants should align with the government’s five-year mandate given by the people of Kenya, drawing a parallel between elected officials and civil servants in terms of accountability and performance.
He drew attention to the demographic realities of Kenya, where the average age is 22 years, and called for a more agile and innovative public service capable of delivering services that meet the expectations of a young population.
The focus will be on digital transformation, ensuring that government services are accessible remotely through phones, tablets, and other devices.
Ruku stressed that the initiative aims to create a unified and efficient digital government that responds to the needs of all Kenyans, particularly the youth, while enhancing accountability and performance across the public service.
The CS has been cracking the whip against government employees who report late and against Human Resource managers who have manipulated the government’s payroll systems.
In January, the Cabinet Secretary ordered a lockout of the Kisumu County government after officials reported late to work during an impromptu visit.
Later, he directed human resource managers across government offices to take action against officers who report late, abscond from duty, or fail to serve the public as required.
He also ordered strict enforcement of attendance regulations and conduct standards within the public service.
In October 2025, Ruku warned civil servants involved in fraudulent activities, stating that anyone found guilty would face immediate dismissal and prosecution.
The Cabinet Secretary disclosed that a recent audit of the public service’s human resource systems had uncovered widespread malpractice, collusion, and systemic abuse aimed at diverting public funds.
The audit report revealed that some HR officers had illegally altered the birth dates of public servants in government databases, allowing them to remain in service beyond the mandatory retirement age.
Ruku also revealed that human resources personnel have been facilitating illegal tax exemptions for select individuals, resulting in significant revenue losses for the government.
